South American airline holding company Synergy Aerospace has placed a firm order for 12 ATR 72-600s and taken options on six more. The aircraft...

South American airline holding company Synergy Aerospace has placed a firm order for 12 ATR 72-600s and taken options on six more.

The aircraft are to be operated by the group’s new subsidiary in Argentina, Avian Líneas Aéreas, which will be branded as Avianca Argentina under a license agreement.

As part of the type’s certification test-flying, an ATR 72-600 takes off at Lugano-Agno Airport in southern Switzerland during steep-approach trials conducted using a glideslope angle of 6.65 degrees. The steep approach angle is required at Lugano-Agno Airport because of its location in a mountain valley

Avian Líneas Aéreas S.A.will launch scheduled and charter air services in the first quarter of 2017, subject to final government approvals.

According to ATR, the new airline will fill a critical void in regional coverage and connectivity by offering multiple daily services in markets which now are not served or are under-served.

Its new ATR 72-600s will be deployed quickly, Synergy Aerospace’s order calling for the Argentine carrier to have all 12 firm-ordered aircraft in service by January 2018.

The ATR 72-600 is the upgraded version of ATR’s high-selling ATR 72 70-seat turboprop

Avianca Argentina will configure each of its ATR 72-600s with 72 passenger seats. The airline is due to receive its first new ATR 72-600 before the end of this year.

In related news, Synergy Aerospace, whose parent company Synergy Group owns a two-thirds majority stake in Avianca Group as well as ‒ through Synergy Aerospace ‒ six other airlines in Brazil (including Ocean Air, which operates under the Avianca Brazil brand), Colombia, Ecuador and El Salvador, has announced a proposed strategic investment in the Mexican regional airline Aeromar.

Synergy Aerospace’s planned investment in Aeromar also involves the acquisition of ATR aircraft for near-term delivery.

On November 14, 2016, Mexican regional carrier Aeromar placed a firm order for six ATR 72-600s and two ATR 42-600s, the contract also including options for six more ATR 72-600s

On November 14 Aeromar announced it had ordered six ATR72-600s and two ATR 42-600s, as well as securing options on six more ATR 72-600s.

Aeromar already has one ATR 42-600 and two ATR 72-600s in service, as well as four ATR 42-300s and 10 ATR 42-500s. Its newly ordered ATR 42-600s and ATR 72-600s will replace at least the four ATR 42-300s.

Synergy Aerospace has been an ATR customer for the past five years. Its subsidiary Avianca Holdings purchased 15 ATR 72-600s in 2012 and these aircraft are operated by Avianca in Colombia and Central America.